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Gene Hamshee
Gene Hamshee (2567-2642) was President of Aloria from 2633-2641. The founder of the Social Populist Party (initially known as the Social Capitalist Party), he was also his party's first member to be elected President. Early Life Hamshee was born on January 19, 2567 in Jacobsville, Sildar, a small town in the province's Central Valley region. His parents ran a family business, a cafe where politics was often discussed. His first political memories were discussions of the 2577 political elections, which turned out to be a big win for the then in power Progressive Coalition, who held onto and increased its large majority in parliament and elected Democratic Rationalist Candidate Millicent Smith, whose election was the first in years to not go into the second round of voting. His parents, like most Sildarians were stalwart DR supporters, and this would influence the young Hamshee. He was first in his class of high school, and attended the acclaimed University of Slidar for college, on a government subsidized tuition (all Alorian citizens at that time attended college free). While he was in college, the Progressive Coalition collapsed, ending the decades long "Progressive Renaissance" and in 2587, Jose Alvarez of the Moderate Libertarian Party was elected in what was called the "Libertarian Revolution". Over the course of the next few years, government paid tuition was cut, as were most government programs and regulation. Soon, his parents family business went bankrupt and was taken over by bigger corporations. Social Security also was greatly weakened, as it no longer was all inclusive of all Alorian citizens, and was largely defunded. Soon after graduating from college, the young Hamshee went into private law and worked hard to support his family. As he would later put it: "My family and I were lucky. I had made it through college before government pad tuitions were cut, and was able to get a comfortable, well paying job because it. Together, we could afford the changes made in the Libertarian Revolution. But I always knew that millions of other Alorians could not. That is why I got into politics." Early Political Career In 2607, Hamshee got a staff job with the Ministry of Health and Social Services, working on the legal details involved. He stayed there for 13 years. He became a consumer advocate, publishing numerous reports on unsafe products and ratings on how well, or how badly, certain business served the public. Soon, he created a whole agency dedicated to consumer advocacy. He tried to use the legal system to promote consumer safety, but found the current laws inadequate. He began lecturing around the country for big change, and won a base of support around the country. He also began working with religious groups, many of whom wanted an official Alorian Church, and supporters of expanded local governments, who wanted devolution and empowerment for the provincial governments.. Hamshee began working to create a new political party, the Social Capitalist Party. Together with many political contacts he had come to know, he founded the SCP in 2628. In 2529 elections, Hamshee was the party's first Presidential Candidate, winning a total of .06% of the votes. For the next four years, Hamshee campaigned tirelessly for his party, focusing mostly on winning parliamentary seats. The elections was seen largely as a contest between the Nationalists and Libertarians, the presidential elections being between former President, Nationalist Bernard Rosenberg, and current President, Libertarian Carla Franco. The election was following the end of a civil war in Kurmal between the communists and the Alorian government. Hamshee's son, Todd, had served in that war as an intelligence officer. In hindsight, however, there was a big a lack of faith in both former Presidents Rosenberg and Franco. While Franco had a high approval rating during the communist insurgency, she was viewed largely as an alternative to Rosenberg's unpopular management of that war, and in fact had years previously been booted out of that office. Meanwhile, the war with the communists had ended, and many socialists were disappointed with the radical militance of the left, just as many social conservatives were disappointed with the radical militarism of the right. SCP was seen as more moderately tempered choice. Hamshee's presidency Surprisingly, Gene Hamshee was elected President in 2633. The SCP also took parliamental plurality previously held for nearly a decade by the Nationalist Party. This was beyond anyone's wildest expectations, including Hamshee. The SCP soon after proposed an agenda of what it called "Dynamic Capitalism" in parliament, bills setting up a national public pension system, enforcing consumer safety laws, and increasing government spending from below 1% to 10% of GDP. Hamshee famously declared; "There's a new sherif in town, Libertia." The legislation passed, while parliament reached a compromise on taxes and spending. Soon after that, the SCP formed a coalition with the Nationalist Party. Under the nationalist prime minister John D. Cassidy, a new government was formed. Hamshee, who was politically inexperienced, sought aid from the Prime Minister on many issues, whose power was elevated because of it. Two years later, Parliament voted to hold special, early elections. Former Libertarian Prime Minister Pierce Farnsworth, was Hamshee's opponent. During the Kurmal Civil War, Farnsworth, young, energetic, and rich, spent large sums of his personal fortune to help evacuate Kurmal citizens. This action was large part of his appeal in popularity. Hamshee, however, who personally admired Farsnworth, campaigned on the premise that the government should have done that, and that a Libertarian Government did not. While campaigning in Kurmal, touring the post-war reconstruction of the province, Hamshee said: "If you want a demontration of the differences between the way we would deal with the issues, you could pick no better example then how we dealt with the Kurmal crisis and post-war recovery." " ''"When the crisis begain, Farnsworth was the Head of Government. There was no increase of federal funds for the region or for the war, leaving the citizens of Kurmal in dire risk." ''"Farnsowrth did do an honorable thing, he donated large sums of his personal fortune to evacuating the people of Kurmal to safety." "That was charitable of him, and I admire him for it, but we don't elect leaders based on what they do with the priavet fortunes, but what they do with the public government. And Alorians do not want a government that spends little on helping its citizenry, one that instead leaves them dependent on the personal fortune and charity of its leaders for their safety. That essentially is the Libertarian policy , and it is the wrong policy."'' It was this message, as well as the support of both the Communists and the Nationalists, that was responsible for a large, nearly 60% win in the election. Second Term While Hamshee held onto the President, his party lost plurality to the MLP. Still, the election was a big win for Hamshee. He tried to work out a deal with former opponent Farnsworth to appoint him to the position of Foreign Minister, but he would not accept. New cabinet appointees were named, including several communists and Todd Hamshee to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. When asked to comment about how he felt about working with members of a party he once fought a war against, the young Hamshee said that the war was over, and Aloria had to start looking to the future. Meanwhile, Nationalist Prime Minister John D. Cassidy, who has served the position since the days of the Kurmal Civil War, began planning a new program reminiscent of the Big Deal and the Progressive Renaissance, called the New Society. At first, Hamshee came out strong for the program. He gave a rousing speech in support, in which he said: "Long ago, there was the Big Deal, the national movement based on the idea that government can be a force for good in national life. In my parent\'s generation, there was the Progressive Renniasance, which was based largely on that same principle. It created such a country where they could prosper, opening a small family business in small town Aloria. '"It was into such prosperity that I cam of age. I was able to attend the acclaimed University of Sildar on a government paid tuition, without which I could not have gone. But then, things changed. "'' "The Progressive Coalition disintegrated, and my family's business soon did as well, as big business came in and inexplicably transformed the town. With the promises of liberty and small government in the Libertarian Revolution came a large giant gap, an hour glass society of rich and poor and a falling middle class. '"My family was among those struggling to hold on. For the first part of my career, I supported my parents. I had a good job because I had had a good education, one I would never be able to have gotten in this brave new world of minimalist public governance, and an expanded private tyranny."'' "I was well aware that there were many others in my same situation, who were unable to do as I was able to do, for they did not have such an education. Rather then University of Sildar, they only had a broken and defunded high school, and barely that much at that." It was with this knowledge that got me into politics, and it was this phenemonom that got me elected. Now, Aloria has a new government, and the country has given it their mandate twice. Together, with Prime Minister Cassidy, slowly but surely, a difference is being made. A restoration of Aloria\'s shared prosperity, and a reinvigoration of its vibrant spirit, this is the new age that is dawning. The succesor to the Big Deal, and to the Progressive Rennasaince, is the New Society. A society of altruism and of hard work, both valued enough by it its institution of Public of Governance so that the government will reflect these characteristics in its own actions, actions to aid and stand by the Alorian Citizen, that is what the New Society is. "While their maybe differences within the New Society Coalition on how to best get this done, one example being my own party\'s belief in federalism as opposed to our friends the Nationalist\'s Party support for nationalism, these differences can be overcome, and a new era begins."'' The New Society The New Society plan initially had widespread support from the Nationalists, Communists, and Social Capitalists, but eventually fell apart due to disagreements between the SCP and the Nationalists over the roll of the Federal Government and the role of Provincial Governments, the SCP supporting devolution and local government empowerment, while the Nationalists wanted a more centralized program. When the SCP, as well as President Hamshee, began to back away from some of the more specific, central government empowering proposals, the NP/SCP coalition fell apart, and all NP ministers in the cabinet, including Cassidy, resigned. Hamshee gave a speech in response, saying: “John D. Cassidy, it is with great reluctance I accept your resignation. You service was always well appreciated, and you shall be missed.” “I request of you and your party to rethink. Is there a difference between our parties, on issues such as devolution and local government empowerment, yes. Did I ever agree to change my mind on what my position was, no. Did I plan on abandoning all the New Society stood for, of course not.” “''Our differences pale in comparison to the differences with the MLP. You support an active national government, I support active local governments, while they support hardly any government. I ask of you to rethink, Mr. Cassidy, and have a spot open for you as Prime Minister.”'' “''But alas, we won election without you and your party, and we can do it again. For we have the mandate of the people. I do not want it to be like that, but if I must, then it must.”'' “So now it’s up to you decide. You held dear the New Society. You were passionate about it. And now, the era of the New Society has begun in earnest. It’s up to you to decide whether it will be a New Society of politics that are more divisive then yesterdays, but for even lesser reasons, or a New Society of a brighter tomorrow and a real, unified change today.” The main political speculation that followed was how Hamshee would function without a Prime Minister. With the post vacant, the Head of State acted as the de facto Head of Government. Questions were raised as to whether or not Hamshee, who during his first term was reliant on Cassidy's assistance, had learned enough to be able to be successful doing it. The Nationalists and Cassidy took a lot of criticisms and sustained a lot of political attacks for abandoning the ministry of Head of Government. For about a year, Hamshee was on his own. He managed to pass several education reforms, including full subsidization of college tuition. Hamshee considered such reforms among his most important, indeed one of the reasons he had gotten into politics. Hamshee had proved he was able to hold his own. Finally, after about a year of compromise, a new cabinet was established. Cassidy was given the position of Prime Ministership again, and this time several MLP appointees were given seats. The cabinet was inclusive of all Alorian political parties, something Hamshee had wanted for a while. Hamshee won re-election again in 2637, this time barely even campaigning. Notably, he was not endorsed by the Nationalist Party this time around. He was however, endorsed by the Communist Party. Sine the elections of 2635, the election campaigns began earlier and earlier, Libertarian candidate Pierce Farnsworth meanwhile got more and more aggressive in his campaigns, characterizing Hamshee as a "wimp" and a weak president. This began taking a toll on the President, and his period of time without a Prime Minister were especially tolling. Meanwhile, Hamshee pushed through numerous education reforms and spending bills, as well as many devolution and local government empowerment legislation. Communist Influence on Administration Following the 2637 election, in which Hamshee was endorsed by the Communist Party of Aloria but this time not by the Nationalists, Communist influence on the Hamshee Administration was clearly visible. First of all, a new executive cabinet was appointed. Cassidy lost his long held job as Prime Minister as Hamshee made formed this new cabinet with the Communists, appointing their Carrie Aiken as the new Prime Minister and Head of Government. Former Communist Rebel leader Lucien Kannaly was pardoned and released from prison. Hamshee took a lot of flak for this, especially from Farnsworth. Hamshee decided not to run in '41, as he would be 74 that year, with his health in decline. Controversially, he endorsed the communist candidate for President (who ended up losing big to Hamshee's former opponent Piece Farnsworth). After the elections, the communist party disbanded, many high ranking members moving to neighboring Kiwalala. He then retired to private life, his legacy somewhat blemished due to the communist influence on him. Hamshee died of a heart attack in 2642 at the age of 74. ---- see also: List of Presidents of Aloria